To the Light
by Drekana3
Summary: Teen TitansxFinal Fantasy VIII crossover. Due to an error in Time Decompression, Rinoa ends up with the Titans. Squall is at the mercy of people wearing black. What's really going on?
1. Chapter One: Where I Belong

**To the Light**

A Teen Titans/Final Fantasy VIII Crossover

Disclaimer: The author of this fanfiction does not claim to own Teen Titans or Final Fantasy VIII, for the author is not Warner Bros./DC or Square-Enix.

**Prologue: Transcending the Bonds of Time**

"_Time…place…who I wanna be with…I wanna go there! Where Squall and I promised. Squall! Squall! Let's go home! Where are you?"_

Judgement day has come at last. My friends and I, the SeeDs of Balamb Garden, have ended the reign of Sorceress Ultimecia at last. The time that was compressed into one unending present is returning to its normal flow, and the sorceresses, myself included, whose magic was used to grip our world in terror, are free from the evil woman's reign. Now, only one thing stands between Squall and I. Time.

"_Ultimecia lives far in the future where none of us can technically exist. There's only one way to make yourself exist in a world like that! As friends, don't forget one another! As friends, believe in one another! Believe in your friends' existence! And they'll also believe in yours. To be friends, to like one another, to love one another…You can't do these things alone. You need somebody."_

President Laguna Loire of Esthar, and the rest of the world for that matter, was counting on my friends to save their world. He truly believed that love and friendship could pull through anything. I believed his words, trusting that the tight bond between my buddies and I would pull us out of Time Compression safely. We would return to the present, triumphant heroes.

"_I'll…Probably disappear."_

Oh, how very right I was. My moment of weakness and self doubt would be the thing preventing me from reaching home. Just as the vivid field of sunflowers I imagined was appearing before my eyes, a cold embrace of blackness surrounded me. I could feel my body fading from wherever I was, and I could hear a distant cackling ringing in my ears as my consciousness slipped away.

**Chapter One: Where I Belong**

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

My eyelids fluttered open instantly, the slate gray sky above meeting my eyes. The alien words that someone had just yelled were baffling to my ears. Had I slipped into the far past, a world of prehistoric sorcery and barbaric behavior? Was this the far future, where my words were as foreign as Centranese to most people? Where was I? Where was Squall? Was I even on Gaia anymore? Confusion clouded my thinking until I heard another shout.

"You WILL relinquish the currency you have wrongfully taken!" I tilted my head to the right, where five teenagers were standing in front of me. At least, three of them were standing. The one who had just spoken was a young woman clad in purple with crimson hair, hovering above the ground with her hands glowing green. The other floating person, whom I guessed had chanted the alien words, was dressed in a navy cloak. Standing below them were three boys. One with raven colored hair and a cape, one with green skin and hair, and a half robot with dark skin on the human parts of his body. My battered body, worn from the epic confrontation with Ultimecia, was obscured by the shadows, so it was doubtful that any of them noticed me.

Their foe, a man dressed in black, was clutching a bag of what I guessed was money. The scene was just another bank robbery, but these teens meant business. Absently, I wondered why the SeeDs back home didn't have part time jobs in Balamb as police officers. They were definitely qualified to do the job.

My train of thought was interrupted when the criminal disappeared around a street corner to the left. Thinking on their feet, the heroic teens chased after him. I decided that the teens were capable of chasing a crook, and the matter wasn't any of my business, so I brushed myself off and searched through my spell stock for a curing spell.

Aha! I had found 3 Curaga spells in my inventory, and I had just lifted my hand to cast one when something grabbed my waist unexpectedly. I was thrown over someone's shoulder, which I instantly recognized as the bank robber's. Alas, I, Rinoa, have turned out to be the damsel in distress once again. Over the course of the past year, Squall had been forced to save me from the evil clutches of a pack of Iguions, a predicament in which I was clinging to Garden's wall for my life, and Sorceress Adel. And during that time, Squall had brought out my inner lion, the pillar of strength I truly was. All I needed to do was tap into my strength, and my fears would fade. At least, I hoped so. Would I sit here and wait for the teens to rescue me? 'Not this time,' I decided. In an instant, I had cast a Thundara spell at the man's foot and scrambled off him.

Of course, since he had committed a crime, the robber attempted to escape, since the paralyzing effects of Thunder spells are temporary. Fortunately, I had bought the teen heroes enough time to unite and prepare a full-scale attack. I waited on the sidelines, spell spring ready, as the crook was beat into the ground. The red haired one fired bolts of green lightning from various angles. The green one morphed into several animals, and I watched as a hawk, a cheetah, a greyhound, and a wasp assaulted him. Strangely, all the animals were the same color as the boy's skin.

Our criminal, the one with bank money, was surprisingly strong. I sensed a chilling black aura about him, the same one that had encircled me when I tried to get back to the present. His eyes, which were revealed when the green hawk ripped off his mask, were glazed over. He summoned deadly projectiles from nowhere, which we dodged. He cast a flurry of black spells, which I negated with my own. Something was clearly not right.

The black haired boy wore an eyemask, which I could now see clearly. He sported a diverse arsenal of gadgets, including a staff, nunchaku, grenade-like explosives, a grappling hook, and several other things that were not used in the confrontation. The half man, half robot used an arm cannon and his brute strength. The girl wearing a cloak used black shields to protect her allies and manipulated various objects while chanting "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" I provided magical aid, fighting the man's spells and sneaking in a Flare or two. Eventually, the five heroes knocked the crook into submission and tossed him into a waiting police truck.

The teens glanced at me curiously. Clearly, they had noticed my flurry of spellcasting amongst the chaos.

"Who are you and what the hell were you doing?" the cloaked girl demanded, arms crossed over her chest.

"Thanks for the help, man!" The green skinned boy grinned sheepishly.

"What are your intentions?" the girl in purple asked curiously.

"What was that?" the 'borg and the Many Gadgeted One questioned simultaneously.

The teens blinked at me, and I blinked back. "Alright, I'll explain." I glanced at each of them in turn. "My name is Rinoa, and I am a sorceress. I have come from another time period, though I am not sure if it was in your future or your past. What you just witnessed was magic, the gift passed to sorceresses through the ages."

"We have some experience with 'magic', but who are these sorceresses you speak of?" the girl in purple asked.

"Sorceresses are descendants of Hyne, the great god of magic from many years ago. Average humans fear our power, because some members of our kind have used their gifts to control and oppress. Girls who are capable of possessing this power may absorb another Sorceress's power by drawing it from their minds. A Sorceress cannot die while she has her powers, so she gives them up to end her suffering. The cycle of fear and hatred continues."

"Where do you live?" the half robot asked.

"I live on another planet." By now, I had determined that this was not Gaia. "I got here because time compression deposited me in the wrong place."

"Will you explain all this to us on the way back?" the boy in a cape requested. I glanced at him. He wore a red shirt with green sleeves and a badge with the letter R on it. His pants were green, and he wore steel-toed boots. I assumed he was the leader of the pack.

"On the way back to where?" I questioned, wondering where this group lived.

"Titans Tower." The boy with green hair explained. He observed the look of confusion on my face and added, "Dude, don't you recognize us?"

"Should I?" I asked, rubbing my forearm for no reason. The girl in the blue cloak smacked him. She wore a black leotard and white belt decorated with ruby stones beneath the cloak.

"She's from another world!" The cloaked girl hissed.

The boy with green hair and skin rubbed his cheek agitatedly. He wore a black suit with patches of maroon on the front. "Well in that case, let me introduce us!" He walked up to me, grinning happily. "We're the Teen Titans, defenders of this city! I'm Beast Boy, and that's Robin, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg!" He pointed at himself, followed by Cape Boy, Cloak Girl, Purple Girl, and Half Robot.

Beast Boy extended his arm toward me, and I shook his gloved hand, attempting to offer a disarming smile.

"Then we will return to the tower!" Starfire crushed me in her arms excitedly, taking my hand and racing down the street. Robin chased after us after a moment's pause. Beast Boy and Cyborg followed, yelling something back and forth. I managed to pick up the words "pizza", "meat", and "tofu". Finally, Raven decided to follow once B.B. provoked her with what must have been a joke. Eventually, the six of us merged into one mob of teens, and I began to explain about magic, SeeD, and my childhood. Maybe my stay in this world would be worthwhile after all.


	2. Chapter Two: Liberi Fatali

Chapter Two: Liberi Fatali: The Children of Fate 

AN: This chapter stinks, and I promise to rework it eventually. It's basically about Rinoa explaining how things work on Gaia, and where she comes from in terms in familiarity with Earth ways. Feel free to skip ahead to Chapter 3.

The dusk was quickly approaching, the normally brilliant blue sky fading into a mass of oranges, purples, and reds. Raven faced the sunset from the tower's roof, chanting her strange words once again. However, that was Raven, and the rest of us were inside the tower's main room as I explained about Para-Magic.

"Back home, as I said before, only a Sorceress can use true magic. However, others that fight to defend their homeland need to protect themselves too. That's why Para Magic was developed: to give the soldiers and SeeDs of our world another weapon. The spells and summons that are used are not as strong as a true Sorceress's magic, but the magic can be devastating in the wrong hands."

"You mentioned something about summons. What are those?" Robin asked, jotting something into a notebook. By now, I'd figured that he was a master detective.

"Summons are our Guardian Forces, as we call them back home. They are mystical creatures summoned to attack enemies. When they are not summoned, GFs reside in our brains, alongside the Para-Magic we have stocked. Unfortunately, extended usage of GFs causes memory loss, since they take up space in our minds."

"Then why does everybody use 'em?" Beast Boy questioned, confusion written across his jade eyes.

"Because there is no other alternative. If SeeD were to stop using Para-Magic, the buttheads in Galbadia wouldn't stop. They value power over their memories. SeeD would be destroyed, and Esthar alone could not fight Galbadia and the sorceresses."

"So Galbadia is the bad guy here?" Cyborg concluded.

"Well, I'm kinda biased against Galbadia," I admitted. "My father, General Caraway, is head of Galbadia's army, based in Deling City. I haven't gotten along with him since my mother, Julia Heartilly, died. As I grew older, I took her surname instead of his and joined a resistance movement in Timber to fight Dad's army. I'm trained to use a weapon, the Pinwheel, as well as magic. It works kinda like a boomerang."

"Please inform us about SeeD!" Starfire exclaimed.

I could now see that the Titans wanted to know my entire story. I decided to stick to the basics for now. "SeeD was founded by Sorceress Edea Kramer and her husband Cid. They built Gardens, mobile military schools used to train future soldiers who would become SeeDs. SeeD members usually work as mercenaries, doing random jobs to rake in money for Garden. However, SeeD's true purpose is to defend the world against evil Sorceresses. Eventually, Edea herself was possessed by an evil Sorceress and the war began."

"Tell us about the war!" Beast Boy was now clutching a bag of popcorn, waiting to hear an epic story.

"Sorry Beast Boy, but I'm tired." I coughed to emphasize this. "Maybe another time."

"Aw man!" He pouted childishly and stalked off to torture Raven, I assumed. Sure enough, he came bolting through the room a few minutes later, pursued by a set of frying pans enveloped in a black aura. Raven proceeded to her room, ignoring the four of us.

Robin closed his eyes, (I think he did anyway, that mask hides all.) thinking for a minute. I could sense that he was arguing with himself over whether he should trust me. Cyborg must have thought the same thing, since he nudged Robin in the ribs, glancing at me pointedly. I pouted cutely, reminding myself of Angelo when she wanted to be fed. If this didn't convince him that I was innocent, nothing would. Eventually, he made his decision.

"Night, Rinoa. See you at practice tomorrow." Robin waved slightly and entered the dorms. Starfire followed, muttering something about humans and illness. Cyborg raced downstairs to his "baby", and I stood there alone for a few minutes.

"They never told me where to sleep." I realized. "Ah well, this will do." I curled up on the sofa, curling into a ball for warmth. Another night done, another dawn approaching. I smiled to myself, drifting off into sleep.


	3. Chapter Three: Junction

**Chapter Three: Junction**

As my consciousness returned the next morning, I could feel the warm sunlight streaming into my face. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to believe that I was still at Titans Tower. I wanted to return to Gaia, visit everyone at Balamb Garden, and…Squall. He was waiting for me, I assumed.

"Rinny…wake up…time for practice!" I jolted awake as Cyborg screeched into my ear. The Titans hadn't mentioned that my training would be this early. At that point, I realized that early was an understatement. It was 6:30 AM and they wanted me to fight? Not even Squall was that tough on his trainees.

"Not up yet?" Cyborg laughed. Suddenly, I felt a metal arm on my waist, throwing me over his shoulder. I decided not to protest, since I could never make him budge anyway. Eventually, he stopped and jerked his arm forward. I was tossed into the frigid waters of a pool, sinking fast. I ripped off my duster, since it was weighing me down, and struggled for the surface. I was a good swimmer, having practiced with Zone and Watts in Timber during my Forest Owl days. However, all the clothing and equipment I wore weighed me down.

As I was wrestling with my heavy equipment pack, I felt someone grab my hand. My rescuer and I kicked toward the surface, but the person stopped just before reaching it. I finally opened my eyes to see Robin gesturing toward me, mouthing something that looked like "Blizzard". I understood, forming the spell and planting a newly created snowball in his hand. I made one for myself and we broke the surface, hitting Cyborg square in the chest with our creations.

"Uh, Rin?" Cyborg looked a little nervous. "You can come out now." He leaned toward the somewhat murky water (it being a very dark blue) and called to the girl again. "Rino-ow!" He fell backwards, glancing at the snowballs that hit his chest. "Snowballs…what the…ROBIN!" He whirled around, pointing an accusing finger at us. Robin and I emerged from the water, laughing.

"Good one!" Beast Boy cheered, clutching a container of fresh tofu.

Raven and Starfire nodded from behind him. Apparently, the pool was a popular hangout in the morning. Raven approached the frigid waters, her hands glowing black. My duster and equipment pack flew into my arms instantly.

"Thanks, Raven." I smiled at her, and she nodded. Starfire giggled as she helped Cyborg brush the snowballs off his chest.

"Awake yet?" Cyborg asked me, grinning despite his humiliation.

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" I smacked his arm playfully.

"Okay then, now that everyone is up and running, it's training time!" The other Titans groaned at Robin's happy tone. He had miraculously changed into his uniform in a matter of seconds. I cast a weak Aero spell, drying myself off with the power of the winds, and then followed the others into the training room.

I gazed around, fascinated by the equipment. There was an observatory deck above the grounds. Various robots, lasers, pits, and obstacles waited for Titans to smash past them. I snapped out of my amazement when Raven declared:

"Newbies first." She grinned at me, wondering what kind of terror I would endure, being inexperienced and all. Beast Boy nodded, drooling slightly at the sight of Raven. I sighed, readying my pinwheel. They flew up to the observatory deck, where the others were waiting.

"Ready?" Cyborg called.

"Set!" I answered back, uneasiness creeping into my shout.

"GO!" The Titans cheered as I jumped out of a laser beam's path. I started running, and a pack of robot warriors raced toward me. I readied a Tornado spell, blasting them out of my way with the forces of wind. However, one braved the tornado and lunged at me, slicing my leg. I fired the Pinwheel at him, and it sliced the robot enough to disable him. Unfortunately, his buddies were recovering and coming back.

"BLIND!" I yelled, casting a cloud of darkness over their eyes. It seemed to work for a minute, and they stumbled about. Unfortunately, they were equipped with sound sensors and fired at the sound of my voice. I was hit in the leg, and I crumpled to the floor.

They were advancing on me, and I had no time to worry about healing myself. "Firaga! Thundaga! Blizzaga! Waterga! Tornado! Quake! Flare! Holy!" The robots were attacked with every elemental spell I knew, but Mother Nature's forces, not even the holy light, could save me. I closed my eyes, waiting for the end, when I felt power surge through my veins. My body was being pushed to its limits, and the situation called for a Limit Break.

The white wings sewn onto the back of my duster sprouted into real wings, lifting me off the ground. My magic was scrambled in my head, its power surging past my normal limitations. I hovered above the troops, tapping into my power.

A series of meteors, large and small, came hurtling from nowhere. Robots were crushed into pieces one by one, and the power kept flowing. I flew past other laser beams and some axes, frying them with a supercharged Flare. I weaved around boulders, cutting through with a superpowered Waterga. Spell after spell was fired, and the obstacles were cleared out of my way.

Once it was over, the lights dimmed and then returned to full brightness. I sank to the ground, wings fading into my back once more. The Titans rushed to my side instantly. Starfire offered me a healing potion from my pack, which I accepted gratefully. Beast Boy chattered unintelligibly, making wild gestures in my direction. Cyborg rushed to the computer, assessing the damage to the training mechanisms and working on repairs. Raven helped Cyborg, lifting various instruments back into place.

Robin led me upstairs into a small room and handed me a written test, which quizzed me on what I would do in certain situations involving crimefighting, first aid, and crowd control. I breezed through it, thanks in part to what I learned from Squall after he took the SeeD written tests. He marked it a half hour later, satisfied with my grade.

"Um…the training exam, the written test, all the whispering, what does it mean?" I asked him.

"You'll hear from us in a few hours. Just relax for now, okay?" He smiled and waved me into the main room, where I flipped through the television channels. I found the local food channel and was copying down another interesting recipe when Starfire burst into the room, grinning.

"Friend Rinoa, you must come with me now!" She tugged me into her bedroom and handed me a slip of paper. "Memorize this!" She grinned at me again, and I stared at the paper blankly. It read:

_I, Rinoa Heartilly, solemnly swear to uphold peace and order in Jump City. I will defend citizens in the name of truth and justice, defending the honor of heroes and humans around the globe. I am willing to dedicate my life to the struggle against injustice as a Teen Titan._

I glanced up at Starfire's delighted expression. "Wait, so…the battle, the training, the written test, the secret whispering…all that was about me becoming a Titan?"

"Yes, friend Rinoa, we have decided to initiate you into our team. This is the pledge you will recite in front of the city.

"The city? We're going to City Hall?"

"No, you will recite the pledge on top of the tower, facing our city."

"That's a relief."

"Now come! We must go there now!"

The paper fluttered to the ground as Starfire and I raced to the tower's roof.


	4. Chapter Four: Starting Up

A/N: I realize that my chapters are kinda fast paced and that I haven't really described much. This will change, I assure you. I'm learning. Also, do you guys want Terra revived? I'm kinda leaning towards reviving her, but I'm not certain.

**Chapter Four: Starting Up**

"I, Rinoa Heartilly, solemnly swear to uphold peace and order in Jump City. I will defend citizens in the name of truth and justice, defending the honor of heroes and humans around the globe. I am willing to dedicate my life to the struggle against injustice as a Teen Titan."

There was a small round of applause as a breeze caressed the six teens standing atop Titans Tower. I was kneeling before the other five, a small smile on my face. Robin stepped forward, tapping his staff on my shoulders. It looked like a knighting performed by the Queen of England.

"Rinoa Heartilly, you are hereby initiated as a Teen Titan, defender of truth, justice, and…"

"Pizza!" Beast Boy interrupted, a stupid but adorable grin on his face. Raven kicked his shin pointedly.

"Jump City." Robin finished, ignoring Beast Boy's comment. "Back to what I was saying, congratulations. Oh, and you can get up now." I stood, and Robin shook my hand warmly. He released me, placing a communicator with the famous "T" on it in my hand.

Starfire and Beast Boy cheered with delight, while the latter was still clutching his leg in pain. Raven nodded, her arms folded. Cyborg walked over and patted my shoulder, grinning. Robin turned away, glancing at the city we had all sworn to protect. I laughed and twisted Cyborg's ridiculous bowtie, then turned to go inside.

"Wait, Rin!" Beast Boy called. "You haven't seen your room yet!" He grabbed my arm and raced inside, leading me down the dorm corridor to a doorway. "Rinoa" was written across it in scratchy letters. "Don't worry, we'll get you a plaque soon."

I glanced across the hall at the other dorms. The doors read "Robin", "Starfire!" "Best Boy" (I chuckled at the misspelling), "Cy" "Raven: Keep Out", and a seventh door read "Terra". There was another Titan I hadn't met?

"Beast Boy, who is that?" I pointed at Terra's door.

B.B.'s expression darkened. "Oh…Terra. She was my best friend, and a Titan. I loved her."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Terra was tricked by Slade, Robin's archnemesis at the time. He turned her to the side of evil, and she was forced to betray us. In the end, she broke Slade's hold on her and saved us from his clutches, but she had to sacrifice herself to save the city. She was turned to stone, and she rests under the tower.

"Turned to stone, huh?" Beast Boy clearly loved and missed Terra. A plan was formulating in my head to free her, but I decided to surprise him later. "I wish you didn't have to suffer like that, Beast Boy."

"It's okay…anyway, here's your room!" I opened the door, and I was instantly greeted with powder blue. The walls, curtains, bed…everything was a different shade of blue. I could easily camouflage myself in here. I grinned.

"Thanks Beast Boy, good night!" I waved, reaching for the door.

"Wait, Rin! You can't sleep yet!"

"Why not?"

"There's a party!" He grabbed my arm and raced toward the living room, where Cyborg and Raven were setting up a sound booth. Starfire was putting the finishing touches on a cake, and Robin was surveying the area. "Ready, Rin?" B.B. asked, offering me a toothy grin.

The other Titans gave me the puppy pout. How could I refuse? I laughed and replied. "I'm ready!"

And so, the Titan inauguration ball began. I watched Cyborg race over to dim the lights, his mechanical parts clinking along as he moved. The room slipped into blackness for a minute, and I could only hear the sound of a dial being turned back and forth. Seconds later, Cyborg complained.

"Beast Boy, what have you done to the lights? I thought you told me that the dimmer was working flawlessly!"

"What have **I **done? Cy, I didn't do anything to the dimmer! Why do you always point your sausage-sized finger at me anyway? Huh? Do ya have a thing against green people or something? Cyborg, I can't hear you!"

"Beast Boy, I can't hear you!" Cyborg had plugged his 'sausage' fingers into his ears. After a year or two of living with B.B., he'd learned that the green one's excuses were never anything meaningful. It was always something like "the dog ate it!" Usually, Beast Boy WAS the offending dog.

"Cyborg!" B.B. lunged at the semi-robotic one, grabbing his mechanical wrists. Within seconds, B.B. realized that his tiny-in-comparison gloved hands could never move his friend's sausages. Sighing in defeat, he wandered over to the dimmer to examine the damage.

I wondered how Beast Boy was able to find Cyborg's hands so quickly in the dark room. Animal senses, perhaps? Yes, that must be it. But we were standing around in the dark, and someone was bound to get hurt.

And so someone did. I heard a small shriek and a thud, and then a green light appeared. Apparently, Starfire had tripped over Cyborg's body. He was curled into a ball, singing "Lalalalalalala" in an attempt to drown out the now silent Beast Boy. Star picked herself up gracefully, gliding over to Robin and Raven. The three of them discovered the reason why the lights had not worked: someone had jammed the circuits with chunks of venison.

All eyes fell on the mischievous green one simultaneously.

"Beast Boy…" Robin began, folding his arms over his chest. By now, Raven had removed the meat from the circuits, and the room was flooded with blue light.

"Uh, hehehe…" The convicted troublemaker scratched the back of his neck, jade eyes fixed on the carpet.

"Why did you insert the venison into the circuitry?" Starfire asked of Beast Boy, looking very much like a mother questioning her disobedient child.

"Um, well I saw Robin sitting down with his dinner, so I asked him what it was. He said it was venison, but it looked like meat to me."

"Um, venison IS meat, Beast Boy." Raven commented, rolling her eyes.

"I know that!" He sent a weak glare at Raven and continued. "So, I went to Cyborg's room and flipped through his dictionary. I found out that venison is deer's meat, and I screamed in terror." He glanced around at the other Titans, gauging their reactions. Robin gazed at the dimmer, Cyborg stared at his friend blankly, Starfire gave him a condescending look, Raven fiddled with her hands, and I gazed at Beast Boy. He was definitely a devoted vegetarian.

"Right, where was I?" Beast Boy thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, so then I grabbed the meat and shoved it in the little wall plug outlet. But I couldn't get it all in, so I ripped the plug out, shoved the meat in the wall, and tried to put the outlet back." As he finished, Robin raised his finger as if to deliver punishment, but I held up a hand to stop him.

"Guys, can't we let this go? The lights are working, the party food is getting cold, and we still have to dance all night! If the problem is fixed, then why worry any longer?" I smiled at them, hoping they would stop this ridiculous thing. B.B. hopped up and down, pointing at me eagerly. Robin shrugged.

"Sure, let's get started." B.B. darted to the snack table, snatching a fistful of various candies. Robin strolled over to the drink table casually, sipping a coffee. Cyborg and Starfire separated themselves from the group, chattering about something. Raven walked behind the sound booth, selecting some discs and switching the speakers on. The music was playing and the party had just begun.

I closed my eyes, and my feet moved from their standing position. I whirled across the floor, arms raised in the air. I stepped forward, then to the left, and all around. My arms folded, then extended again. My eyes opened in the middle of my dance, and I immediately noticed the stares. We had a staring contest for a minute, and then B.B. and Star decided to join me. I grabbed Star's hand and we dropped to the floor for a few seconds, laughing. We sprouted up again, and Beast Boy joined us, forming a little circle. We danced for a few minutes as the others watched, amused.

Once the song was over, we joined Robin, Raven, and Cyborg at a table that had been set up. I sipped at a cream soda delicately, listening to the music. I noticed that Raven was operating the sound booth from her seat, CDs floating around on their own.

"The dance was most enjoyable." Starfire commented, a dazed smile upon her face.

The rest of us laughed with her, tired smiles on our faces. Today had been a long day, but there was a party still to be had. The music changed again, to an energetic waltz that seemed familiar.

'Why do I remember this…wait, is that what I think it is?' I thought, closing my eyes. I drifted into my memories of a fateful March evening that seemed an eternity away.

_A brunette young man with a scar across his forehead _(no, not Harry Potter!) _leaned against a pillar inside a cafeteria transformed into a magnificent ballroom. He folded his arms across his chest, gazing at the windowed ceiling, when a bright light streaked across the sky. He shifted his stare downward to a dark haired woman wearing an ivory dress. She smiled, pointing her pinkie in the direction of the shooting star. She walked across the ballroom to the lone man, confidence in her stride._

"_You're the best guy here. Dance with me?"_

_He grunted in response, glancing away from the woman._

"_Let me guess…You'll only dance with someone you like."_

_The young man grunted once again, clearly not interested in a dance. The girl raised her fingers and rocked her hand back and forth, as if she were trying to hypnotize him. _

"_Ok then…Look into my eyes…You're-going-to-like-me…You're-going-to-like-me…Did it work?"_

"…_I can't dance."_

"_You'll be fine. Come on. I'm looking for someone. I can't be on the dance floor alone."_

_Leaving no room for argument, she grabbed the man's arm and dragged him onto the dance floor. She positioned his hands and attempted to waltz him back and forth, but he stumbled. Eventually, though, he managed to get the hang of waltzing. They moved across the floor elegantly, pulling each other close as the song ended. She winked at the man and wandered off._

I sighed, clasping my hands together. 'Squall…You were always so bitter and stiff. Why did you allow yourself to suffer alone?'

I returned to reality once Beast Boy started poking my shoulder. "C'mon Rin, wake up!"

"I'm fine Beast Boy, just taking a stroll down memory lane."

"This is no time for a stroll, let's dance!" He reached over and grabbed Raven. In her shock, she forgot to shove him off and started waltzing across the carpet with him. I smiled fondly, my memories still in place.

Starfire watched B.B. and Raven dance for a few moments, and then turned to Robin. "Friend Robin, do you wish to partake in the ritual of waltzing with me?"

"No problem, Star." He smiled warmly at her, grabbing her hand. In moments, they were whirling in time to the music along with B.B. and Rae. I turned to Cyborg, who was staring at the table determinedly.

"What's the matter Cy, don't dance?" I teased, nudging his arm. He brushed me off, grumbling something about women.

"Okay then, talk to ya later." I turned away, having learned from Squall that it's best not to agitate a person who wants to be alone.

The dancing Titans returned to the table just then, laughing. Raven switched off the speakers, and we yawned from exhaustion.

"See yas tomorrow!" B.B. rushed to his room, not tired for some reason.

"Night." Raven retired to her room without another word.

"I wish you well in your sleep, friends!" Starfire floated off to her room, head drooping.

Cyborg stomped off to his room without another word, and Robin glanced at me. "Going to sleep tonight, Rin?"

I jumped up from the table, startled. "Of course I am, I was just thinking."

"Okay then…well c'mon!" He made a gesture toward the dorms, and we walked to my door.

"Ready to fight some criminals?" Robin asked, referring to my new responsibility as a Titan.

"Yeah, I'll handle 'em alright, I reckon." I giggled at my silly choice of words.

He smiled and retired to his room with a quick "Night Rin." I smiled and slipped inside my doorway, collapsing onto my new mattress. Before I could drift into unconsciousness, a few thoughts lingered on my mind. Were my friends on Gaia alright? Why had Cyborg been so grumpy when the others were dancing? When could I get home? Eventually, I gave up on these questions and waited for sleep. What a night it had been…and what a morning was waiting for me.

A/N: Whew, my longest chapter to date! I'd like to thank my readers (and reviewers!) for taking the time to read. It warms my heart to know that my work is appreciated. Next chapter will be about the lives of Squall and co. as they return to the present and realize that Rinoa is gone. Happy reading!


	5. Chapter Five: Wounded

**Chapter Five: The Loveless Knight**

The docks in Balamb Town had never been quite as busy as they were that afternoon. Angry voices buzzed like bees, and multitudes of angry fingers pointed at a blonde teen they thought was a convicted criminal. Said teen held his fishing rod over his shoulder, wishing with all his might that he could smack some sense into these people.

"There he is, the sorceress's knight!"

"He betrayed the SeeDs, get 'im!"

"He's dangerous, stand back Juliet!"

The young man's emerald eyes scanned across a mob of infuriated Balamb citizens and Galbadian soldiers. They gripped a variety of weapons in their fists, including but not limited to swords, guns, grenades, axes, nunchaku, whips, and his personal favorite, flaming torches. The mob appeared to be ready to strike.

Their opponent, the blonde man, gestured to his friends hurriedly. A man with dark skin and an accent wielded a thick staff, pointing at the mob threateningly. A silver-haired woman wearing an eye patch gripped her weapon of choice, a shuriken. Their friend, the convicted blonde, grabbed for his sword/gun, formally called a gunblade.

"You want a fight, you got a fight, ya know?" The dark-skinned one that shall now be referred to as Raijin commented.

"MUST DESTROY." The silver haired woman known as Fujin barked.

"Payback time." The blonde, whom shall now be known as Seifer Almasy, charged headfirst into the mob of people surrounding them. With backup from Raijin and Fujin, he disposed of most of the mob efficiently. Thankfully, Fujin's protective spells ensured that none of the mob members were killed, though they would certainly deserve it in her mind.

Unbeknownst to Seifer and company at the time, a shadowy figure lingered among the K.O.ed mob. Just as Seifer was happily wiping his Gunblade, Hyperion, Raijin pointed behind Seifer and began to stammer incoherently. Fujin cocked her head to the side curiously.

"WHAT?"

"Um…yeah…well…ya know…so…ya know…pie…ya know…ASSASSIN!" Raijin yelled, shoving Seifer out of the way of an incoming sword.

"What the…Raijin cut it out!" Seifer appeared to be agitated for a moment, but he quickly forgave his friend once he spotted the assassin.

The newcomer was dressed entirely in black, and muttered something in a language the trio could not understand. He/she/it appeared to lift his/her/its head (but Seifer couldn't be sure, his/her/its head was fully cloaked), and then struck without warning.

"YOWCH!" Fujin shrieked, tumbling to the ground as a pool of blood formed around her.

"FUJIN! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YA KNOW!" Raijin charged at the assassin blindly, and Seifer followed. Gunblade and staff attacked the cloaked one relentlessly, as various 'clank' sounds were heard. The battle raged on for about twenty minutes, and then the newcomer unleashed his/her/its wrath.

He/she/it raised a gloved hand into the air, performing a swishy movement with his/her/its index finger. After a moment or two of finger waving, it yelled, "Omdesi Vino!"

As the "it" stopped yelling, the sky suddenly shifted from a pale blue to a midnight violet. Ominous clouds swirled in a spiral above their heads, and flashes of green lightning struck Seifer and Raijin. Fujin remained unconscious in her little pool of blood. The green bolts were truly painful, causing the guys to fall to their knees screaming. Once it was over, they lay on the ground panting. Seifer was disgusted for allowing himself to submit to pain, and Raijin was praying quietly.

The assassin moved in on its prey, preparing to strike for the last time, when a hurricane suddenly appeared. Ocean water spiraled into the sky, and tidal waves splashed over the docks. It looked up to find himself suddenly squashed by a mass of black leather and belts. Finally, Seifer's greatest rival and childhood friend had returned to the present.

Mass of Black Leather, formally known as Squall Leonhart, pushed himself off the cloaked one and jumped to his feet. He waited patiently for his friends to return as the cloaked one recovered from the shock all the while. (Big mistake Squall, big mistake…)

A chestnut-haired girl wearing a sunny yellow dress was the first to emerge from the hurricane. She bounded over to Squall, grinning madly.

"Hiya Squall, where is everyone?" Selphie Tilmitt asked curiously.

"They're coming." He replied, crossing his arms over his chest. 'I didn't see Rinoa with us, is she out there?'

After a few moments, the others joined Squall and Selphie on the dock. Zell Dincht, a blonde martial artist, glared at Seifer but said nothing at the moment. Quistis Trepe, a blonde instructor with awesome whipping skills, gazed at the once-again-blue sky serenely. Irvine Kinneas, a sharpshooter wearing a cowboy hat, winked at Selphie and glanced at the sky.

"Dammit Seifer, what the hell are you doing here?!" Zell shouted, kicking his longtime enemy in the ribs.

"Seifer? Whaddya mean? Ohmygosh, SEIFER!" Selphie squealed, grinning. She moved to crush Seifer in a hug, but regained her senses and held herself back.

The others glanced at him questioningly, while Squall rolled his eyes. "Let's go everyone, Cid is waiting for our report." 'And I'm waiting for you, Rin. We promised to see each other again, remember?' Squall bowed his head solemnly, wondering where his lost love had gone.

"Has anyone seen Rinoa?" Quistis asked, arms folded over her stomach.

Squall sighed, Zell clenched his fist, Selphie clasped a hand over her mouth in realization, and Irvine shook his head sadly.

"She's not here."

"I'll bet Seifer kidnapped her, that arrogant ba-" Selphie smacked Zell across the head before he could continue. Seifer glared at the 'chicken-wuss', refusing to acknowledge Zell's accusation.

"Waitaminute, Rinny's gone? No!" Selphie panicked and began running around in a circle frantically, screeching her head off.

"I hope she made it through." Irvine placed his hat over his heart, closing his eyes.

Something flashed in Seifer's eyes at the mention of Rinoa's name. "Squall, watch it!" He warned, gesturing at the cloaked assassin that was getting to his feet.

"Seifer, you're coming with us." Irvine declared, regaining his tough front andignoring Seifer's comment. He hoisted the wounded Seifer to his feet while Squall spoke again.

"Watch what?" He asked, confused. But it was too late already. The others watched in terror as the person in black rose to his feet. The assassin displayed his blade to the rest of the group for a moment before stabbing Squall through the stomach frombehind.His bodytoppled forward as the assassin grabbed him and vanished into thin air.

"SQUALL!" Everyone, including Seifer and Raijin, had yelled simultaneously out of shock. Quistis hurriedly cured the ex-Disciplinary Committee and yanked them to their feet. Together, the group of seven raced in the direction of Balamb Garden. They silently swore to recover Squall and Rinoa, no matter what the cost.


	6. Chapter Six: Silence and Motion

**Chapter Six: Silence and Motion**

"Just a little further…yeah…that's it…keep going Rin…you can do it…" I whispered to myself, tiptoeing along the silent hallway toward the kitchen. Out of the kindness of my heart, (and to avoid a repeat of the pool incident), I'd decided to wake up extra early and prepare breakfast for the Titans.

"Alright…no one's awake…got it…yes!" I cheered quietly, reaching for the pancake batter. I stirred the batter happily, whistling a soft tune to myself. Once the pancakes were frying, I added chocolate chips and sprinkles, arranging them in various cute shapes. Little chocolate hearts and rainbow snowflakes smiled up at me. I flipped them over, grinning.

Once the pancakes were complete, I reached for a bag of lemons, squeezing their juice into six glasses. I added the sugar and water hastily, sensing that the other Titans would awaken at any moment. I happened to spot a carton of soy milk in the garbage can, and that's when I remembered that Beast Boy was a vegetarian. I closed my eyes, attempting to remember a breakfast recipe suitable for a vegetarian.

Hmm…cereal? Nah, there's no soy milk left. Bacon and eggs? NO WAY he'd eat that…too many animal products. I'll probably need to use soy for anything I make, but seeing as he consumed the last of the soy products last night…fruit will have to do, I guess.

Satisfied, I reached for a container of various fruits and began to slice them. Apples, pineapples, oranges, blueberries, pears, bananas, mangoes, and watermelon…I was greatly tempted to consume the entire salad. I topped the arrangement with a single chocolate-covered strawberry, pleased by my handiwork. _If this doesn't satisfy him, I have no idea what will…hmm, they should be getting up by now._

Suddenly, my eyes focused on a gloved hand that was now reaching for a blueberry. I turned my head and spotted Beast Boy standing beside me, his face fixed in concentration. "Um…. BB?"

"Yeah?"

"I can see you, you know."

"I know! All I wanted was a blueberry!"

"It's your breakfast, so take one!"

"Mine? Oh…nice!" He glanced at the glasses and silverware arranged on the table. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now go ahead and sit down, no need to wait for everyone. Say, what are you doing up this early anyway?"

"…I was thinking."

"Thinking? About what?" This was certainly an interesting twist. According to Raven, Beast Boy never really thought about anything, and was rather brainless in some respects. But…I'd seen another side to him when I'd brought up the subject of Terra. They had been close; there was no doubt about that. He'd probably give anything to see her smile one more time, or hold her tightly once more. _Does Squall feel the same about me?_

I closed my eyes in an attempt to rid myself of that particular thought.

"Terra…"

"What?" My head snapped up at the sound of that name.

"I-said-that-I-am-thinking-about-Terra!" Beast Boy shouted, pronouncing each word clearly as if I were deaf.

"Shh." I hushed him, praying that we wouldn't awaken a grumpy Raven. "I heard you, I was just thinking about something else. What about her?"

"Do you know her story?"

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, I'd better explain first. Terra was a special girl with the ability to control rocks. We met her a little while ago, and she was great. We hung out with her for a while, and she was offered a spot on the team. It would have been awesome, but then Slade's goonies attacked."

"Slade?"

"Oh yeah, Slade's a psychotic loony that had a run-in with Robin a while back. Those two kept butting heads every time they met, until the day Robin tracked him down. Slade had implanted little explody things in our bodies, so he said that either Robin could become his apprentice or the rest of us would die. I guess you can figure out which option he picked."

"The thing is, Slade's really creepy. He's more powerful than us, and he's got this army of loonies to back him up. Any crime he commits usually goes undetected. So with Robin on his side, he'd be unstoppable, right? Wrong. Slade could never suppress Robin's feelings, so Robin fought back after he was pushed past the breaking point. We got him back on our side, but Rob still beats himself up about what he should have done or said."

"Back to Terra's story, she tried to fight Slade with us, but her powers spun out of control. We took her back to the tower with us, and she was really worried about her inability to control her powers. I promised her that I'd keep her weakness a secret, but later Robin revealed that he knew it too. She thought that I'd broken the promise, and she ran away. Slade used her confusion to his advantage, and lured her into becoming a spy."

"Later, she came back to us, asking if she could join the team. We agreed to let her tag along, and she could join once she proved herself worthy of being a Titan. She helped us save the tower from one of Slade's plans, and we inducted her as a member."

"After that, she was happy with us for a few weeks. I liked her more and more every day, and we became best friends. I guess it was because we both felt a little like outsiders in the group. When we were hanging out at the carnival one day, she tried to tell me her terrible secret. Before she could finish, Slade came for her. I'd promised to always be her friend, but I couldn't believe that she'd turn to Slade, and I kinda yelled at her. She went with Slade."

"A few days later, she was sporting a Slade-style uniform and destroying the city. We had to fight her, and it was rough because Slade was making her powers stronger. She almost killed us, but we came back for Round 2. In the end, I managed to get past the wall she and Slade had built around her heart. She sent him hurtling into a volcano, and I knew she'd always be my friend."

"Unfortunately, the rock she'd pulled out of the earth to kill Slade had triggered a volcano, and Terra was the only one who could save the city. I hugged her one last time, and then I escaped with the other Titans while she stopped the eruption. It's great that the city was saved, but Terra ended up imprisoned in that rock."

"…I guess I really miss her, and I'd do anything to be with her again."

He buried his face in his hands, and I sighed silently. So it was true. Operation Terra was immediately moved up on my priorities list. If I could make him happy…that would be worth so much.

By this time, it turned out; the rest of the Titans had already awakened. As I glanced at the empty pans and missing carton of orange juice, I realized that they'd already eaten my carefully prepared meal. I also noticed Starfire downing the last of the fruit salad I'd slaved over for Beast Boy. I made a mental note to take him out for lunch today.

"Er…so how's breakfast?" I asked cautiously, glancing at my new friends.

"Not bad." Cyborg replied, stretching his mechanical arms over his head.

"Okay." Raven stated, in a slightly more than toneless voice. I shrugged and smiled appreciatively, not really expecting anything else.

"Most wonderful." Starfire quipped, grinning like a lunatic.

"Thank you." Robin shrugged, a half smile on his face.

"Er…I asked you to rate the breakfast, not to thank me." I smiled back, noting that his plate was sparkling clean.

"Um…you get an 8.5 out of 10, I guess."

"Thank you, kind sir."

"You're welcome."

"Where's mine?" Beast Boy asked, suddenly reverting to his old self. Apparently, the aroma of fresh food had brought him back to our reality.

"Er…sorry BB, but it appears that the others ate your food."

"Oh…the salad of fruits was intended for Beast Boy? I apologize." Starfire blurted, embarrassment in her voice.

"No, don't worry Star!" I assured, hoping that she wasn't too upset. "It's my fault for forgetting to put his food on the table, there's no way you could have known! Besides, I doubt you consumed the entire thing yourself." I glanced at the others, not accusingly but questioningly. Cyborg coughed, Robin shook his head, and Raven silently gestured to a mass of tanish-pinkish blob.

"Oh, my little bungorf is most sorry as well!" Starfire shrieked, grabbing the blob.

"What is that?" I asked, glancing at what resembled a little maggot. I noticed that he wore a collar around his neck area, with the name "Silkie" engraved on a tag that was attached.

"Oh, that's Star's pet worm. His name's Silkie, and he loves weird food." Cyborg commented, glaring at the thing as if it were his worst enemy.

"How does a fruit salad qualify as weird food?" I asked.

"I don't know, but how does MY LEG qualify as food, period!" Cyborg ranted, continuing to send invisible laser rays of doom at Silkie.

"Um…Cy? Do you wanna play on the Gamestation now?" Beast Boy asked hesitantly, fearing the robotic one's wrath.

"Maybe."

"I bet you can't beat my record at Hung Chock Fooky!" Beast Boy teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, can't I?" Cyborg looked up and met Beast Boy's eyes for a second. I can't say for sure what silent words passed between them, but I think it might have been something like:

_"Chill dude, that Silkie-eating-your-best-leg thing happened practically a million years ago! C'mon, you haven't had enough fun yet today!"_

_"And what exactly do you mean by fun? Chinese water torture? And don't steer me off subject!"_

_"Dude, I've got to steer you off subject! If I don't, you'll end up blasting a hole through Starfire or something!"_

_"What do you mean by that!"_

_"I mean that you've got such a thick skull that you don't know when you're diving off the deep end! That anger problem of yours will kill us all!"_

_"What problem?"_

_"Exactly!"_

_"BB, I don't think you want to continue down this road."_

_"Why not? If you don't face this now, someone could get hurt! Let go of the anger, dude!"_

_"…BB…just shut up, okay?"_

_"No!"_

_"AARGH!" (cue large dust cloud as BB and Cy tear each other apart)_

Oookay, maybe not. I can't let my twisted fantasies get in the way of actual life. Anyway, here's how Cyborg actually responded.

"You're on."

Beast Boy whooped with delight, and the buddies started another round of video games. If only all conflicts could be resolved so easily…or better yet, why can't we just end our wars altogether?

A/N: Woohoo, 6 finally went up! So sorry for the mega-huge update drought, I got lazy over the past few weeks. I'd like to take this moment to thank my loyal reviewers, and to get you rallied up for Chapter 7, starring Squall, his gang, and the latest threat to universal peace!


	7. Chapter Seven: Premonition

A/N: Hello again, friends! …Wow, I have waited forever to update this time…don't kill me! Anyways, this is another chapter in the FF8 world, and hopefully I'll get around to explaining a little about these unknowns and why Squall and Rin disappeared. Don't mind too much if this chapter is a little happy in some places, that's what 3 hours of straight Jpop does to ya.

**Chapter Seven: Premonition**

"Dammit, we've got to move!" Irvine yelled, ushering the group into a van provided courtesy of Balamb Rentals. Zell and Raijin lifted Seifer into the back seat, breathing heavily. Selphie sat beside him, exhausting her reserve of curing magic on her fallen ally.

Zell, Raijin, and Fujin filled the middle row, Irvine occupied the passenger's seat, and Quistis took the wheel. She was about to insert the keys into the ignition when a loud bark was heard from the back seat.

"What the heck…" Everyone turned to face the back seat, where an extremely frightened Angelo was sitting in Selphie's lap.

"How'd she get in?" Zell asked, frowning at the dog. If Angelo had made it back to Balamb, why hadn't Rinoa done the same?

"Never mind, let's just get back to Balamb!" Quistis shouted, glancing back at Seifer one last time. She turned the key, slammed her boot into the gas pedal, and they were off.

_Rinoa…where are you? Where am I? What happened!_

_Wait…I'm bound to some sort of table. Is this a torture room? A laboratory? The infirmary?_

Squall Leonhart opened his eyes for the first time in days, slowly absorbing the information racing through his head. He remembered striking Ultimecia down…telling Edea about SeeD…falling through a vortex…meeting his friends in Balamb…finding out that Rinoa was missing…fighting the cloaked people…getting stabbed. Wait a minute; if he were stabbed square in the chest, shouldn't he be dead? He glanced down at his torso. Surprisingly, he could not find any trace of an injury, and he felt no pain. How long had he been asleep?

"Ah, so the SeeD is awake." The voice came from his left. Squall turned his head and was greeted by another black cloak.

"What do you want with me?" Squall asked, his voice monotonous and cold. His slate gray eyes scanned the room for any clues to his situation. Other than the black-cloaked person, he spotted a projector screen, a projector, some weapons mounted on the wall, several bookshelves, and the door.

"It is not what I want that matters, but what you want." The voice responded stealthily. Squall could almost imagine the sadistic smirk on the cloaked person's face.

The black-cloaked person chuckled, pressing an orange button on one of the olive walls. Suddenly, the projector roared to life, displaying a familiar image on the screen.

"Rinoa!" Squall attempted to reach for her image, restrained by his bindings. There she was, falling through the vortex of time compression alone. She appeared again, casting spells furiously against another black-cloaked person (BCP). In the next scene, she was laughing and dancing with a group of teenagers that Squall did not recognize. They appeared to be superheroes, wearing the traditional spandex.

"We have been tracking you for quite some time, Commander Leonhart." The BCP continued, shutting off the projector. "You and Miss Heartilly possess a strange energy that we seek."

"What are you talking about?" Squall questioned, wondering what the hell this "energy" thing was about.

"The energy that we seek is a special force that provides human immortality."

"So you're saying that I'm immortal?"

"You were immortal, yes. A great guardian of spirits protected you from death on several occasions."

"A guardian?"

"He took the form of a lion, symbolic of the courageous spirit that rests in the hearts of warriors. His name was Griever."

"Griever is a guardian?" Squall glanced down at his shirt, immediately noticing that his treasured Griever necklace was missing. He turned his gaze to the BCP, who was fingering the silver lion medallion resting against his cloak.

"Yes. I do not know how you came to acquire Griever, but no matter. His protection is now mine."

"And you want Rinoa because she has the ring, right?" This was not looking too good. He didn't know anything about the BCPs or their motives, and what would they do with immortality?

"You're a perceptive one, Leonhart. The trouble is, both the necklace and ring are required to achieve immortality. You had the necklace, and she has the ring. Since you share a strong bond of love, the immortality was shared between the two of you. However, I must acquire both items."

"What are your demands?" Squall could see where this was going, and he didn't like it at all.

"You will not attempt to stand in my way, you will not warn any of your friends about us, and you will assist me in beating Miss Heartilly into submission."

"Why should I help you attack Rinoa?" Damn, he wished he could escape. Maybe that "instant ninja" training course Zell had rambled on about last week would have helped him now.

"If you do not, I will force you to kill her along with all of SeeD!"

"How can you force my free will?"

"Simple, I will possess your body using an ancient spell."

"Which I will promptly break."

"Don't get cocky, Leonhart. Remember, you have no choice in this matter. She will die!"

BCP retreated into the black corridor, chuckling madly.

_Damn…this guy's a crackpot. Immortality…ancient spells…but what's Rinoa doing? Are those snapshots real? And who were the spandex freaks?_

"Nida, we've got an emergency situation!" Zell sprinted down Balamb Garden's main hall, racing toward his comrade.

"Zell, it's great to see you back again…what's up?" Nida asked, watching as Zell's companions arrived behind him. Quistis and Selphie were leaning over, panting for breath. Raijin and Irvine carried Seifer in their arms, who had lost consciousness. Fujin hovered over Seifer worriedly, and Angelo raced around in circles, barking obnoxiously.

"Where's the commander?" Xu asked, appearing behind Nida. She carried a mountain of paperwork in her arms.

"He was stabbed in Balamb and vanished." Selphie stated matter-of-factly, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"Rinoa was lost somewhere in time compression." Irvine continued, holding his hat in his hands.

"Who stabbed Squall? Is Ultimecia gone? Why did Rinoa disappear? Is there going to be another war?" A random junior cadet asked, racing towards the group gathered in the lobby.

"There's no time, our buddy's dying, ya know?" Raijin declared, glancing solemnly at his friend.

"HEAL." Fujin demanded.

"Seifer?" Xu asked, shocked to see the blonde back again. She closed her eyes at the sight of his grave condition. "Okay, I'll take over as commander for now. Take him to Dr. Kadowaki, Irvine."

"Yes ma'am." He and Raijin started toward the infirmary, Seifer in tow.

"Quistis, I need you to describe the people that stabbed Squall. Fujin, help Dr. Kadowaki with Seifer. Zell, Selphie, go inform the younger students about what's happened. Tell them everything because they need to know. Nida, plot a course for Esthar. We have to inform President Loire. We've got to do something before another war starts."

"Commander!" Everyone saluted Temporary Commander Xu and raced off to perform their assigned tasks.

A/N: Whew, that was a rough chapter to write. I'm really sorry that it took so long, 8 should be out much sooner.


	8. Chapter Eight: Trust Me

A/N: Sorry about that last chapter, I've just gotta put something there so that the story can continue. It'll get revamped soon. Anyway, here's the eighth installment to this saga. We're back in Jump City, as the Titans discuss Terra and the possibility of reviving her.

**Chapter Eight: Trust Me**

"WHAT! You want to revive Terra?" The other Titans did not respond to my desire as well as I had hoped.

"Well, yes. I think I might know how to do it." I clasped my hands behind my back, making circles on the carpet with my boot. "I thought Terra was a Titan and your friend. Why wouldn't you want her back?" I looked up at my friends, wondering what the problem was.

"What kind of cure are we talking about here?" Raven stepped forward, gazing at me suspiciously. "We don't want to endanger her by using this cure."

"There isn't any danger, I've used this spell many times before." I tried to assure them, squeezing my wrist.

"A spell that turns stone to flesh?" Raven crossed her arms over her chest. "I've never heard of a spell like that, and I've searched every spell book that I can find. Where did you learn it?"

"It's a spell from my home world. Back home, there are fiends that can turn people into stone just by looking at them. It became necessary to develop a cure for this ailment, because hundreds of innocent people were being turned into statues every month."

"How does it work?" Raven inquired. Her eyes were glowing faintly, and I felt as if she were trying to probe my mind.

"Back home, people learn spells by drawing information from the enemy's mind. It's kind of like mind reading. Once the spell is learned, you get more energy to cast that particular spell by drawing from mana pools or from the enemy. I still have a few of the spell that should cure Terra."

"Will it work? Terra's condition is probably different from the stone-gaze enemies on Gaia." Robin questioned, hands on his hips.

"It shouldn't matter. A stone person is a stone person, and turning the stone back into flesh should work the same way no matter how the person got that way."

"I'm not so sure." Robin stroked his chin, and his mask narrowed into tiny slits. I assumed that he was closing his eyes.

"What's there to worry about?" Beast Boy asked excitedly. "It's Terra, and Rinny can save her!" B.B.'s emerald eyes were shining with hope. I couldn't disappoint him now.

"We should have a backup plan, in case Rinoa's cure does not work as planned." Starfire suggested, holding a vial in her hand. It contained what appeared to be a potion. "I do not doubt your spellcasting abilities, Rinoa, but I fear that one cure might not be enough."

"It's fine Star, I understand. In fact, that's a great idea. The more cures, the better!" I cheered, grinning. "I'd really like to meet Terra, and I won't give up trying."

"Right! Terra'll be rollin' again in no time!" Cyborg stated confidently.

"Yeah!" BB and Star cheered simultaneously. They gathered around Cyborg and the three began telling stories about Terra, eagerly anticipating her return.

Robin and Raven shared a nervous glance. To them, it was obvious that they were clinging to a seemingly unreliable hope. When their dreams of reviving their friends didn't come true, what then? And even if Terra did come back, would she be trustworthy? After all, she did let Slade's goonies into Titans Tower, try to destroy the city, and attempt to kill them.

Even if Terra was back on their side, would she want it that way? Would she run? Would she want to die, suffering eternally for all the damage she caused? Terra was a somewhat difficult person to predict. The Titans could be setting themselves up for another disaster.

I noticed Robin and Raven communicating their worries silently. Leave it to the birds to handle all the responsibilities. Everything would probably be fine, but there was no doubt that questions would be raised. Is Terra forgiven? Would she still want to be a Titan? Would Beast Boy go back to her? How would this affect Rinoa's place on the team? The what-ifs were the birds' specialties.

"C'mon guys, it'll probably be fine. Don't you guys kill yourselves worrying every day?" I asked them, wondering whether they had driven themselves mad yet.

"You're probably right, but I can't forget what she's done. Slade may have pulled the strings, but her lack of control is a serious problem." Robin pointed out.

"Aw don't worry, she'll probably get to work on fixing that right away." I assured. If Beast Boy was to be believed, then Terra was good at heart. She just got herself into some bad circumstances.

"We have to worry, Rinoa. Life isn't perfect, and bad things happen all the time." Raven stated dejectedly. Poor Raven, she'd probably been through hell as a result of her powers.

"Life may not be perfect, but it can be fun if you just let go for a bit." I replied. "I don't think you let yourself have enough fun."

"Whatever." Raven turned around and was about to walk off to her room when Robin caught her arm.

"Wait a minute, Raven. Team?" Robin asked, trying to get the attention of the chattering trio. "Titans?" BB, Cy, and Star ignored him, continuing to babble eagerly. "TITANS, SHUT UP!" Robin roared, his fists clenched. I winced and covered my ears, while the three chatterboxes shut their mouths.

"I think we should try and revive Terra now." Robin declared, his voice hoarse.

"Cool!" Beast Boy cheered, racing out of the living room.

"Yes!" Starfire celebrated, speeding after BB.

"Yeah baby!" Cyborg whooped, clanking his way out of the tower.

"Alright!" I jumped up and down, headed toward the exit. "Rob, Rae, are you coming?" I asked.

"…okay then." Robin and Raven chuckled nervously, following us out of the tower.

A few minutes later, we arrived in the cavern where Terra's statue rested. The Titans had set up a memorial to honor her after she had died. I knelt on the cavern floor and read the plaque placed before the statue's feet.

TERRA

_A Teen Titan_

_A True Friend_

It seemed that the Titans had already forgiven her. Smiling, I gazed up at the stone figure that Terra was trapped within. Her eyes, although they were frozen in the rock, contained a fire of life that still burned. Her body had remained in its prison for a month now, and it was high time that she be freed.

Beast Boy knelt beside me, his hands clasped together. "Oh please, let this work…I wanna hang out with Terra again…" A tear slipped down his cheek as his memories surfaced.

Surprisingly, Robin was the next to join us. "Please be alright, Terra…I'm sorry that you got caught up in this mess."

Starfire followed. "Friend Terra, please become free again. We miss you dearly."

Cyborg and Raven joined simultaneously.

"C'mon girl, I know you're still there…we'll see you soon." Cyborg bowed his head.

"I trusted you, Terra…I still do. I hope you can come back to us." Raven's words were filled with a surprising level of emotion.

"I hope I can help you, Terra." I stood up, silently praying that everything would work out. I lifted my hand to my face, allowing the spell to travel to my hand. With a flick of my wrist, the spell energy was free, traveling towards the statue at a rapid pace. Just as the spell and the statue made contact, I used the familiar word.

"Esuna!"

Everyone closed their eyes, too anxious to watch the outcome of the casting. I cracked an eye open, glancing at Starfire. She gripped her potion vial so tightly that I feared it might break. My spell had to work, it just had to…Beast Boy didn't deserve his pain. I glanced up at the white burst of light where the statue had stood and thrust my hands toward it. I poured my heart into the spell, knowing that Terra deserved to live.

Apparently, everyone had opened their eyes out of curiosity at this point. They stared at the white burst, transfixed for a moment. That's when it happened.

Seemingly as one, the Titans decided to help with the casting. They stood up simultaneously, concentrating on their goal. They thrust their hands forward as well, and we locked our hands together. Terra would be back with us, she just had to come back.

It seemed like we were focusing our energy for an eternity, but the burst of light finally faded. We glanced at each other, silently communicating our fears. Was Terra here?

A rumbling suddenly interrupted our thoughts. The ground began to shake violently, and we were thrown off our feet.

"It's the volcano!" Robin yelled, scrambling to his feet. "We've gotta move!"

"No!" Beast Boy replied. "It's Terra!"

We finally gazed upon the memorial where Terra's statue stood. The stone figure had been replaced by a human girl, who was apparently concentrating her powers on the earth. She must have still believed that the volcano was going to erupt.

"It's okay Terra, you can stop now!" Raven yelled. The quaking ceased.

"What?" The girl known as Terra dropped her hands, observing the cavern. "Guys, what happened? Where's Slade? Is the city safe? And who is that?" Terra asked, pointing at me.

"Terra!" Beast Boy whooped, launching himself at her. Starfire squealed and joined in the hug. Cyborg joined them a second later, laughing. Robin and Raven shrugged, throwing themselves into the happy fest.

"We're glad you're okay."

"It is most glorious to see you again."

"Glad to see ya, kiddo."

"Terra, I missed you!"

"Welcome back, Terra."

I giggled as the others chattered for a minute or two. After a moment, Terra returned to her concerns. "You didn't answer my questions!"

"You killed Slade in the lava and got turned into stone, we just brought you back, yes the city is safe, and she's Rinoa, a new Titan." Beast Boy answered, wiggling his ears at her.

"A new Titan, huh? Nice to meet you." Terra pushed her friends aside and extended her hand. "I'm Terra."

"I know," I giggled, shaking her hand vigorously. "I'm Rinoa, as Beast Boy told you. I'm glad you weren't stuck that way forever."

"Yeah, being a statue isn't fun at all. I didn't even know I was a statue, I thought I was dead!"

"Thank goodness you are not, friend Terra." Starfire winked at her.

"Er…just one question, guys." Terra glanced around at the group. "…do I have to go to jail?"

"Naw, Slade got all the criminal charges, even though he's dead." Cyborg dismissed her worry with a wave of his hand. "And we've forgiven you, so don't ask."

"Awesome!" Terra cheered, grinning at her friends. "Can we go home now? I'd like to get a change of clothes." She glanced down at her shredded apprentice uniform.

"Sure, and after that, we'll get some pizza!" BB threw an arm around her shoulders, and everyone started laughing at their good fortune. Everything was okay for the moment.

A/N: Whew, my longest chapter yet! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I hope Chapter Nine will be out soon. Coming up: Seifer's recovery, the history of Griever, and Squall's struggle against himself.


End file.
